1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to firearm accessories. In particular, the present invention relates to gun support devices for holding a rifle or a shotgun in a desired position.
2. Relevant Technology
For safety reasons, any hunter, target shooter, or other kind of gun user must be constantly aware of where his gun is being pointed. This is true not only as the gun is being fired, but also when the gun is not currently being used. Being aware of where a gun is pointed is the first tenet of firearm safety. For example, when a person is hunting with a rifle or shotgun, the hunter must always carefully point the gun away from other people and in a direction where no damage will be done if the gun accidentally fires.
Oftentimes, hunters sit or stand for extended periods of time in a single location. When doing so, hunters have had several choices of how they maintain their guns pointed in a safe direction. Perhaps the most frequently used technique involves the hunter holding the gun in a steady position and in a safe direction while ensuring that nobody walks in front of the gun. This technique can almost entirely ensure safety if the gun user is vigilant. However, holding a gun for extended periods of time is inconvenient because it can lead to fatigue or can prevent the gun user from participating in other activities that require the use of the hands.
Alternatively, in order to free up the hands, many gun users resort to placing their guns on the ground or propping them against a tree or another makeshift support. This approach to gun handling has several drawbacks. First, when a gun is placed on the ground or propped against an object, it is often not secured against accidental movement. For example, placing a gun against a tree often involves a balancing act that can result in the gun toppling if bumped or, sometimes, for no apparent reason at all. When a gun is displaced from a temporary resting position, it could discharge or at least be damaged. Accordingly, resting a shotgun or a rifle on the ground or an object in the gun's surroundings is often an unwise practice. However, because acceptable alternatives have not always been available, many hunters have done so.
Placing a gun on an object or on the ground is also often undesirable because the gun may be scratched or otherwise damaged even if no accidental gun movement. Many gun owners have had their guns damaged in this way. In some situations, hunters may be unable to lay their guns down on the ground or on a nearby object. For example, many waterfowl hunters hunt from blinds positioned in or near a body of water where no nearby dry ground is available. Furthermore, if a gun falls from a hunter's arm or from a temporary resting spot into the water, the gun may be severely damaged.
Many gun owners have experienced similar problems upon resting a gun against a makeshift support to brace the gun while firing. Many hunters can improve their aim by placing the stock or barrel of the gun against a tree branch or another similar object. Bracing the gun in this manner eliminates much of the unsteadiness of the shooter's hands. Bracing guns is also practiced while calibrating an optical or mechanical sight on the gun. For example, many target shooters rest their guns against stationary objects, such as truck tailgates, benches, and the like, at shooting ranges.
Bracing a gun against a tree branch, a truck tailgate, or another convenient object has several drawbacks. First, movement of the gun against the hard surface while the gun is fired can easily mar the finish of the gun. In addition, bracing a gun against an object as described above is often awkward, and does not always eliminate unsteadiness while shooting.
In view of the foregoing, it could be an advancement in the art to provide devices or structures for securely resting a gun in a safe position without the gun having to be held by the gun user. It would be particularly useful if the structure or device could be used in the field in a variety of environmental conditions. It would be advantageous to provide such a support device or structure that can also securely brace the gun while firing, whether at the shooting range or in the field.